Abstract
Numerous studies have examined the level of patriotism across countries, the factors that shape patriotic feelings, and the ways in which diverse dimensions of patriotism are related to a broad set of attitudes and behaviours. Citizen evaluation of patriotism, in particular in the context of majorities and minorities, has seldom been investigated, however. Exploring this issue, this paper discusses the ways in which majorities and minorities view the consequences of patriotism and whether their attitudes are affected by inclusive state policies. Analysing public views of patriotism across countries, it found that (a) patriotism is viewed more positively than negatively in nearly all the countries included in the survey; (b) on average, majorities hold more positive views of patriotism than minorities; (c) minorities in countries governed by more exclusive policies tend to regard patriotism more negatively than those in countries governed by more inclusive policies; and (d) the more inclusive the policy, the more negatively majorities perceive patriotism. These findings are discussed in light of the normative debate regarding patriotism.
MIPEX in use
Institutional inclusiveness of minorities/immigrants was measured by various scales. The Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), a cross-national collaboration that inquiries into and compares cross-national integration policies, was used. Constructed by national experts and standardised by Migrant Integration Policy researchers, this covers more countries in our analysis than other indices.. The Multiculturalism Policy Index, for example, was only available for 12 countries, thus undermining the ability to apply a multilevel analysis.View all notes Identifying and measuring integration outcomes and policies and other contextual factors with the potential to impact policy effectiveness in the domain of integration, it reflects the extent to which integration policies encourage cultural diversity. Combining various indicators across several policy domains, it enables an overall evaluation of the inclusiveness of policies.
